Breech Baby

babysugar Diaries: Breech and Turning

One of the things I discovered in the last couple of weeks during all of my many prenatal visits is that my baby is currently breech. With an overload of amniotic fluid floating around my baby, this wee one has been flipping around like a dolphin inside. Time is still on my side and I'm hoping the child will find its way down in the next few weeks. Hopefully I'll be able to avoid a c-section that breech positioning often requires. A co-worker of mine just went through just about every procedure to turn her baby.

To see what steps she took (and I might take), read more.

Devastated by her breech positioning, my friend tried all of the following to get her baby head down.

Burning moxibustion sticks by her feet to draw the baby down while speaking kindly and in encouraging tones to the child.

Elevating the lower half of her body while lying on her back.

Flashlight

Acupuncture

Chiropractor

Ice packs on top of your tummy where the baby's head might be.

External version — the medical procedure where doctors try to turn the baby by externally pushing on the mother-to-be's stomach.

Unfortunately, non of these tricks worked but in the end, she had a healthy happy baby so the method of delivery was a non-issue!Source

I was 34 weeks and my little guy was still breech. I took a pair of headphones plugged into my iPod, placed them on the bottom of my belly and cranked up the "Proud Mary." He flipped himself before the chorus was over!

I am ALSO about 32 weeks and breech, but I have to have a c-section either way. My first baby lay exactly this way - sort of diagonal, head high up on the right of my body, kicking lower on the left. I guess my uterus is just a funny shape.

The flashlight trick is: start at the top of the belly (turned on) and slowly move the light in a downwards direction towards the pelvis. The thinking is that a baby can see light and will hopefully want to follow it.

I have had external version done (unsuccessfully). The rates for success are not that high and the process can throw you into labor by breaking your water.
At one point I had 4 men pushing in different positions with all their strength, but my son wouldn't budge. He was born by c-section with his feet in his mouth :)

My son was breach and my doctor said there was nothing to do (external aversion was too dangerous in my case). My mom gave me some tips (shine a flashlight at the bottom of your belly and the baby will turn to it, put headphone at the bottom of your belly...). What worked for me was putting 2 baby blocks at the foot of my bed under a board under my mattress so my feet were slightly elevated. As soon as I laid down the second night it felt like my son was having a party in there and he turned right around.
That being said I needed a c-section anyway b/c the cord was wrapped around his neck. Maybe he was meant to stay breach....

I am almost 32 weeks and mine is breech as well. However, my first baby was breech for a while and he eventually flipped on his own so the doctor is not too worried at this point but he he did inform me that if it didn't change, he'd have to do a c-section. Because the placement of my placenta is high, they will be unable to do any kind of external manipulation as it could rupture the placenta. So I too and hoping that she (it's a girl!) will turn on her own!!!

Anything can happen--and you might end up with a c-section even if the baby is vertex.
I worked for a doctor of acupuncture for 4 years and he had a very high success rate in turning breech babies (% of success varied depending on week of pregnancy.
The WHO supports the use of moxibustion for turning breech babies,as well. I didn't insist on soothing speech, but did use moxa.

My mother once told me that I was breech for a while, but I turned over on my own not long before the delivery.
I'm four months pregnant with my first... Just out of curiosity, is the breech position fairly common, or not?

My daughter was breech until 30 minutes before the scheduled C-section. The doctors had assured me there was no way she could turn. I had not done anything to try and turn her because I was 39 weeks and I assumed she was pretty well stuck in the breech position. I was sent home and she arrived 2 days later. I know this is unusual but it's just proof that anything can happen.